TRAINING FOR LEADERSHIP

Training programme for financial journalists

On 1 July 2008, the Rafael del Pino Foundation and the Spanish Association of Financial Journalists (APIE) signed a collaboration agreement to contribute to the training of journalists who work in the financial sections of Spain’s main media by organising events with prominent figures in the field of economic analysis.

The events consist of high level talks with content aimed at facilitating direct contact between the journalists attending and the experts invited as speakers. In 2008, the first year of the programme, two events were organised at the Foundation, both of them under the direction of Ángel Laso and Javier García de la Vega, the Deputy Chairman and the Treasurer of the APIE, respectively.

The first event on the theme of ‘The Outlook for the Housing Market in Spain‘ took place on 9 October 2008. The speakers were: Julio Rodríguez, former Chairman of Banco Hipotecario; Guillermo Chicote, Chairman of the Spanish Association of Property Developers and Builders (APCE); Pedro Pérez, Chairman of the G-14; and Álvaro Echániz, General Manager of the Ferrovial Group. The workshop was closed by the Spanish Housing Minister, Beatriz Corredor.

The second event took place on 10 December 2008. The discussion was on the theme of “The economic challenges for 2009”. The speakers were: David Vegara, Spanish State Secretary for the Economy; Luis Garicano, Director of Research at the London School of Economics and Professor of Economics and Strategy at the University of Chicago; José Luis Escrivá, Chief Economist, BBVA Group; and Cristóbal Montoro, Economics Coordinator, Spanish People’s Party.